APG Center Donates 5,000-Plus School Supplies to Military Families

The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center announced Thursday that in spite of military furloughs that cut pay by 20 percent, employees donated a record number of school supplies in its 2013 back-to-school supply drive.

Donations were collected between July 8 and Aug. 13 for military families in the 20th Support Command and the 22nd Chemical Battalion.

"We are absolutely overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of their employees, especially during a time when they experienced significant pay cuts," Col. Kyle Nordmeyer, of the 20th Support Command, said.

In what was the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center's sixth annual back-to-school drive, it partnered with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Joint Science and Technology Office to donate than 5,000 school supplies valued at approximately $4,000, according to an Aug. 29 statement from Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.

Donations included the following:

• Nearly 1,500 pencils
• 900 ballpoint pens
• 500 erasers
• 230 glue sticks
• 180 crayon packs
• 160 pocket folders
• 120 spiral notebooks
• More than 100 composition books
• 20 book bags